Phoenix Child
by mayemerald9
Summary: Zuko finds a girl in the ocean. She was mentally scarred as a child, and vowed never to use firebending again. Zuko, after saving her life, discovers that she is the most powerful firebender he has ever seen! He will train her. What will happen? Who will come out burned? Rated cause I'm paranoid. People! Reviews, please!
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N) Yes, I know, it's horrible! I have too many ideas, and I can't choose one and stick with it! I am going to have no room to do things if I keep writing my fanfictions down on my phone!  
I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Fire Bending would have come from the Phoenixes if I owned Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

* * *

Everything was cold, and black. She floated there, in what felt like nothingness, and thought of nothing. It was a strange feeling.  
She was vaguely aware of pressure on her lips, but before the thought could properly register, it evaporated. Air was blown into her lungs, and she saw a blurry figure come out of the darkness. They were on top of her, blowing air.  
She began to feel more real. She was aware of her chest, unmoving, and how her limbs were cold, and lifeless. She felt dead.  
There was thumping on her chest, pressing down very hard. She felt her heart laying dormant, and the thumping from above. Was her heart outside her body?  
The air blew into her mouth again, more insistent this time. She blinked slowly, trying to get the strange blackness out of her vision. She heard a voice, young and male. The air kept blowing, and she felt her heart begin to work again. Her limbs glowed with life, and she was abruptly jerked out of the blackness.  
Her head flew backwards, and landed on cold steel. The girl began coughing uncontrollably, trying to get the salt water out of her lungs. She felt a weight lift, somehow, and saw several people around her. Her vision was blurred, and she saw pink spots, but they all seemed to be men. One looked younger than the rest, and one looked much older, and more plump.  
They appeared to be talking, but the words turned to dust in her mind.  
She was barely able to utter a thank-you before passing out again.

* * *

The girl awoke on a hard table with two people looking over her. One was a middle-aged man, the other a teenager. The man was telling the other of the girl's injuries. Neither noticed that she was awake.  
The walls of the room were made of metal, but there were several wooden cabinets on the walls, and a few tables and cots strung about. She felt a swaying motion that made her heart sink, and the girl knew that she was trapped yet again on a ship.  
She tried to sit up, but felt a stabbing pain in her chest. The teenager saw her, and forced her to lie down again. She tried to focus on him, but with the deep swaying disorienting her, she found herself unable to process much. He had gold eyes.

* * *

The girl awoke on a sleeping mat this time, at the back of a dimly lit room. On the other side of the room, there was the teenage boy sitting cross legged on a wooden bench, facing a table with four candles on it, and a strange red and green dragon mask.  
The boy appeared to be meditating, because he breathed rhythmically. The girl turned her head towards him, watching intently.  
Just then, an old man entered the room, looking nervous.  
"The only reason you should be interrupting me, is if you have news about the Avatar." The boy's voice cut across the relaxed silence, calm, yet cold. The man pushed the door open completely and held up a scroll before answering.  
"Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. don't get too upset."  
"Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now, whatever you have to say, I'm sure I can take it." She saw him take in a breath, preparing himself.  
"Okay then." He hesitated, but then said plainly, "We have no idea where he is." The flames from the candles towered above them, fanning out over that side of the room. The girl tried to scream, but her voice was choked and cracked from coughing and lack of use.  
"What?!" Zuko screams, enraged.  
"You really should open a window in here," the old man said, taking out a fan to keep the heat from his face. Zuko snatched the scroll from the man's hands.  
"Give me the map!" He unrolled it, and scowled.  
"Well, there have been multiple sightings of the Avatar, but he is impossible to track down."  
"How am I going to find him, Uncle? He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering."  
"I would not worry about that now, Prince Zuko, right now I would worry about the girl at the back of the room who overheard this entire conversation." Zuko turned towards her suddenly and glared.  
"How long have you been awake?" he snapped.  
"I-" ***COUGH*** "I saw you meditating..." Her voice was hoarse. He shook his head and rubbed his face, utterly exasperated.  
"Uncle, you deal with her, I have no time for this." He stormed out of the room, leaving her with a very tired looking Uncle. He sighed.  
"I apologize for my nephew's manners, he has a lot on his plate right now. I am Iroh." He extended his hand and smiled warmly. The girl took it and smiled back. This man would not hurt her, that she could tell.  
"Mingyun Huo." Sitting up, she shivered. Even with the candles burning, she was freezing.  
"So, Mingyun, how did you get in the ocean? You were quite far out when we found you." Mingyun shuddered.  
"I was a prisoner." She hugged her knees close to her, and tried to hold back tears.  
"Who was holding you?" Iroh sat down next to her, and tried put his hand over hers. It was a comforting gesture, but she recoiled out of pure instinct.  
"A woman- no, a demon- by the name of Azula." Mingyun couldn't stop the tears from spilling then, as the memories of the pitch black cell returned. The cold steel walls, the dagger shining in the firelight, the flames, the blood... It was too much. Iroh sighed.  
"Any encounter with my niece could not have been pleasant, and I see that she has scarred you." Her eyes widened.  
"Your niece?!" She began backing away from him, her heart pounding in fear.  
"My niece. Mingyun, you have no reason to be afraid of me, I will not harm you!"  
"I can't trust anyone from the Fire Nation... I can't..."  
"But you're from the Fire Nation, are you not?" Her heart was ripped open, and she gasped. Her deepest secret, discovered in only a short encounter...  
"I was, but I do not belong there. I belong nowhere." She did not continue, and he did not press. He simply left her there, a piteous look on his face.

* * *

"Uncle, how did you know she is from the Fire Nation? And what would Azula want with her?" Zuko had been listening in.  
"Her eyes are gold, Zuko, much like yours. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out." Iroh went down to the kitchen to brew some tea, leaving Zuko confused and, to put it politely, peeved.  
What did his sister want with this girl? She seemed plain enough. Was it merely chance, Azula running across a traitor and capturing them, or was there something more?  
Iroh returned with a tray full of steaming tea.  
"Give this to her, Prince Zuko, it should calm her nerves." Zuko sighed. There was no arguing with Uncle in situations like these.  
Zuko entered the room to find Mingyun backed into a corner, crying. For a moment, Zuko's face softened, but then he regained his composure and strode towards her.  
He kneeled down and extended one of the cups. She glanced upwards at him, taking in his scarred face, but let her gaze return to the floor.  
"Drink." The icy word cut through the silence like a knife, stabbing her as it echoed around the metal chamber. She shook her head, playing the child's game of stubbornness. Zuko growled. "You are testing my patience, peasant." At this, she merely buried her face deeper into her arms, letting loose more tears. He seemed so much like his sister...  
He shook his head, and placed the tray on the ground. Gently, he unwrapped her arms from around her face and knees. If she didn't already know that he was a fire bender, she would have fought back, but Mingyun remained still. Zuko wrapped his fingers around her chin, and tipped it back slightly so her mouth would open. He then brought one of the cups to her lips, forcing her to drink the admittedly delectable tea. As he did this, he looked into her averted eyes. His uncle was right, they were as gold as his, and they seemed to be filled with just as much sorrow.  
He had her drink two more cups before releasing her and standing. Before leaving, he said,  
"You don't want to leave this room. The men are, well... men." The door clanged shut behind him, and Mingyun was left alone once again to cry.

* * *

Zuko's meditation was a daily routine, and each night his fire plagued Mingyun's nightmares. She constantly had the dream, her house burning, her parents screams. She would wake drenched in sweat and tears, and wanting to scream. She didn't know, though, that her nightmares would wake Zuko, forcing him to watch her to make sure she would sleep soundly again. This girl was irritating in every way, her attitude, her sharp- though rarely used- tongue, her inability to trust... But he found an odd kinship in her. They had both been scarred, whether on the inside or out. They were both haunted by nightmares of their parents. They both resented Azula.  
Zuko quickly learned that talking to Mingyun was a waste of time if you didn't want to be lashed with harsh words. He would simply give her her meal, and revel in her company (oh joy) as he meditated.  
Mingyun watched him, out of fascination and fear. The fire terrified her, this is true, but the way Zuko controlled it so completely left her awed.  
She glanced at her own palms, bitter resentment in her eyes.  
"Why don't you bend?" Zuko asked. He was suddenly leaning down beside her. "And don't tell me you can't, I can see the spark in your eyes."  
Mingyun did something that she hadn't done since she was a child; she made a small flame in her palm.  
"This is the size of the flame that ruined my life." She glared at him, and was too angry to see the understanding in his gaze. "This is why I will never bend again." She snapped her palm shut, intending only to snuff out her flame, but somehow eradicated the fire from Zuko's meditation candles.  
The room went black, and Zuko took advantage of this. He brought the candles from the small table and set them on the floor between them. Lighting the wicks in his fingers, he said,  
"You have a fire in you, Mingyun, you can't deny it. If you don't learn to control that fire, it will consume you." Her eyes widened. "Focus on the fire. Banish everything from your mind except the flames, and your breaths." He reached out and gently slid the lids of her eyes closed.  
Mingyen breathed deeply, doing as he said. She did not see, but with every inhale, the fire shrank to nothing more than the size of a pin, and with every exhale it grew ten inches tall.  
Zuko's eyes widened at her power, and wondered how it hadn't consumed her already. To resist the flames, yet wield them so well, meant that she was truly the most powerful fire bender he had ever met, even compared to Azula.  
The candles suddenly went out, and he saw Mingyun's golden eyes staring at him.  
"Tomorrow I will begin training you. Get a good nights rest," he told her before exiting. She nodded, but doubted that he saw.  
For the first time since she had been on this ship, she was not scared, or angry, or sad, or dying, or dead... She was happy, and proud, and willing, and hopeful. It was a strange feeling.

* * *

"Zuko, the crew would appreciate it if you didn't meditate at night when they actually _**NEED**_ steady light," Iroh said to him as he stared off at the sea. Zuko gave him a deadpanned look.  
"What does that mean?" Iroh shook his head.  
"That MEANS that every fire on this ship was growing and shrinking rhythmically, and it was, to be frank, **_really annoying_**!" Zuko's eyes widened.  
"She really is powerful..." he mumbled as his gaze returned to the sea.

* * *

_"为什么你一定要教我吗__?"_ Zuko's eyes widened.  
"Did you just speak-"  
_"*The Old Language? Yes,*"_ Mingyun replied simply. She had knowledge of ancient traditions and events, but she didn't know where she got them from. Zuko shook his head.  
"On with the lesson. Power in firebending comes from the breath. You must master proper breath control in order to keep the flames from becoming too powerful, and overwhelming you." Mingyun nodded. It was sensible enough. "Breathe in counts of 5, then 7, then 10." She did. Zuko motioned for a few soldiers to come. The soldiers began to play loud music on several instruments. This visibly annoyed both Zuko and Mingyun, but she kept straight and continued breathing.  
_"*Giving someone a migraine isn't the best way to train them,*"_ she hissed. Zuko began to circle her.  
_"*It may not be, but it gets the job done. You must remain focused on the task at hand in order to be successful in combat. Distractions can lead to your death.*"_  
Just then, a particularly off-key horn player blasted in Mingyun's ear, and she exhaled heavily through her nose, making steam.  
_"*Curse you and your horrible musicians,*"_ she growled at him. He only smirked, and continued circling.  
Eventually, when she had repeated the breathing cycles several times, Zuko waved the soldiers away.  
Mingyun turned to glare at him, and was surprised to see him in a fighting pose. He sent a quick blast of fire in her direction, and on instinct she backflipped into the air, landing in a crouched position.  
_"*What was that for?!*"_  
_"*Testing your reflexes, and your reaction. It wouldn't have hit you, but I needed to see what you would do.*"_  
She stood and began pinching the bridge of her nose.  
_"*The universe hates me...*"_  
"Now I want you to show me any amount of fire you can make. Don't hold back, like you did in the cabin, just let go."  
Mingyun sighed, and took a deep breath. She released the breath, and kicked out wards, creating a fire blast that spanned the length of the ship.  
Zuko's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Even he couldn't create a fire that big!  
"Excuse me for a moment..." he said, running to find his uncle.

* * *

"Well she must be good for you to admit it," Iroh mumbled as Zuko explained the situation. He calmly sipped his tea, only taking in half of his nephew's rant, before standing. "What is it you are asking of me, Prince Zuko?" Zuko looked about ready to bang his head against the wall.  
"To train her. I could never train her like you can, and she is already powerful enough to train by my side." Iroh looked upwards thoughtfully.  
"How powerful did you say she was again?" Zuko smacked himself in the forehead, and hissed,  
"Powerful enough to make a flame large enough to span the entire ship. _ON. HER. FIRST. TRY._" Iroh pondered this, an began stroking his beard.  
"Show her the basic forms, Prince Zuko. Once she is at the same level as you, I will train her." Zuko nodded and turned to leave.  
"Oh, and one more thing!" He glanced back at his uncle. "Never. Again. Do I want to hear a horrible sound such as that music." Zuko shook his head as he left for the deck.

* * *

"Hey, have you seen that new girl, the one they found in the ocean?" The soldiers in the break room were drinking tea and having hearty conversations, which usually led to Mingyun one way or another.  
"Yeah, what was her name... Myuging? Gingyun? Aah, something like that."  
"Well Prince Zuko is training her personally. What'd she do to get that kind if respect?"  
"Yeah, from what I can tell she's just a weird little girl. Have you noticed that she never talks to anyone but the general and the prince?"  
"I have! And even then, she only does it in some strange language! What's up with that?"  
The men didn't notice when Mingyun slipped through the door, trying to find some food. She snuck to the back of the room, listening as the soldiers gossiped. One of them made a particularly obscene comment about her, and she scowled.  
She pointed at the soldier's tea and shot a thin stream of white-hot flame, almost instantly evaporating it.  
"I don't appreciate your gossip. If you have something you wish to say about me, then you will say it to my face." She glared at them, and they all paled. She left quickly, food in hand, and ran back to Zuko's quarters.

* * *

When she arrived, Zuko was meditating. He seemed deep in thought, so Mingyun said nothing as she sat and watched.  
"You got them to shut up. I commend you," he calmly said.  
"You take great joy in eavesdropping, don't you?" Zuko smirked and sat down next to her.  
"You have been in this ship for two weeks, and already you've mastered most of the basic forms." She nodded. "Tomorrow, you will begin training with me instead of under me." She nodded again.  
"Why do you keep disappearing?" she asked suddenly. He looked slightly taken aback.  
"I am hunting someone." She looked into his eyes, and found that his thoughts were reflected in the golden orbs.  
"Why do you hunt him?" She knew who 'him' was, and he knew she did, but she played ignorant.  
"For my honor," he replied, his voice growing icy. She looked at him curiously, and saw his thoughts again.  
_"*Why do you need to hunt for your honor when you never truly lost it?*"_ He paused.  
_"*So I can go home.*"_ Mingyen grabbed his hands and held them in hers.  
_"*Home is where you make it, Zuko. If you truly want home to be in the place where you were lied to, challenged, scorned, and scarred, then so be it."_ His eyes widened slightly. How did she know all of this? _"*But you can make a new home, and a new life, with new memories. You could make home something you want to remember.*"_ He bowed his head. Mingyun's ears perked, and she heard soft mumbling and the clatter of footsteps. "Someone's coming."  
She moved and sat in the corner of the room, pretending nothing had just happened. Zuko's face went from sad to irritated as Iroh entered.  
"For the last time, I'm not playing the tsungi horn!"  
"No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem." The look on Iroh's face made it clear that the news would likely get his face burned off.  
A tall man with short brown hair, balding in the front with enormous sideburns entered.  
"I'm taking your crew," he said simply. He seemed overly calm, but Mingyun saw a glint of malice in his stare.  
"What?" Zuko seemed skeptical.  
"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole."  
"Uncle, is that true?"  
"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone... even the cook," Iroh replied, sighing.  
"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again." These two clearly had a history filled with rivalries and hatred. Mingyun was smart enough to stay out of it.  
Zuko charged at the man, but Iroh cut him off.  
"No!"  
The man glanced around the room, and his gaze rested on a pair of swords hanging from the wall. A look of realization came across his face.  
"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko."  
"I'm not," Zuko replied. "They're antiques. Just decorative." Mingyun knew this was a lie, because she had seen him practice. Whatever these two had shared in the past, the swords had something to do with it.  
"Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"  
"Just rumors. I don't think he is real." Iroh looked skeptical as well.  
"He's real, all right. He's a criminal, and an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon. General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands... if you change your mind." He glanced at Mingyun. "You would be welcome as well, of course. I am Admiral Zhao. You are?"  
"Weixiande. It's a pleasure to meet you." Zuko smirked at her alias.  
"Please, let me know if you would like to join my expedition. It will bring honor, victory, and good fortune." He extended his hand toward her, and she took it out of courtesy. Mingyun did NOT like the look he was giving her.  
Zhao left, with Iroh following. Once they were out of earshot, Zuko slammed his fist into the wall.  
"GRAH!"  
"You two obviously hate each other. What did he do?" Zuko looked about ready to burst into flames.  
"He is trying to take my only chance at going home, take it for nothing but glory." She nodded.  
"The Avatar does seem like a popular target. What will you do?" He shook his head and lay down on his sleeping mat. Iroh came in again.  
"The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."  
"Good riddance to those traitors."  
_"*They were just following orders. It's not like they had a choice,*"_ Mingyen mumbled.  
"It's a lovely night for a walk," Iroh starts. "Why don't you join me? It would clear your head." No response. "Or just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy."  
"I'll walk with you, Iroh," Mingyen cuts in. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" He nods solemnly. Mingyen shrugs, and walked off with Iroh.  
"So, Weixiande. Why choose a name that literally translates to _'dangerous?'_"

* * *

"Careful with the blasting jelly!" Zuko stuck his head out the door.  
"Uncle? Uncle, is that you?" He walked around the ship, searching for the source of the noise.  
Zuko heard a fuse light, and in less time than it takes to blink, the ship exploded.  
"Zuko!" He and Mingyun ran back to see the ship in flames, completely destroyed. "Zuko..."

* * *

Zuko jerked off the ground and began coughing.  
"My ship..."  
"Exploded."  
"You..."  
"Saved your life."  
"Who..?"  
"Zhao." Zuko tried to growl, but it only started another round of coughs. Once he could straighten up, he looked at Mingyun.  
"Thank-you."

* * *

"If you're fishing for an octopus my nephew, you need a tightly woven net, or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape." Iroh said solemnly as Zuko climbed in the boat. Mingyun would have questioned his wisdom if the moment wasn't so tense.  
"I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle."  
"I'm sorry. I just nag you, because, well," his voice breaks slightly, "ever since I lost my son..."  
"Uncle, you don't have to say it."  
"... I think of you as my own." Zuko turned towards him, a softer look on his face.  
"I know, Uncle. We'll meet again." He is hugged tightly by Iroh, and then by Mingyun. "After I have the Avatar." He turned and climbed on the boat.  
"Remember your breath of fire. It could save your life out there."  
"I will." The boat began to lower.  
"And put your hood up. Keep your ears warm!"  
"I'll be fine!" Zuko shouted back, with teenage stubbornness in his voice. Mingyun laughed, and patted Iroh's shoulder.  
"He'll be fine."

* * *

"I don't need to remind you we have a time limit. If we don't defeat the Water Tribe before the full moon rises, they will be undefeatable."  
"I assure you I have everything under control. I intend to remove the moon as a factor."  
"Remove the moon? How?" Iroh and Mingyun shouted at the same time.  
A soldier appeared behind them, and pointed his spear at Zhao.  
"Admiral Choi! Prepare to meet your fate!" The boy charged at Zhao, but before he could get there, Mingyen grabbed him and flipped him overboard. Iroh shook his head as he watched the boy fall.  
"Thank-you, Weixiande. As I was saying, years ago I stumbled upon a great and powerful secret: the identity of the Moon Spirit's mortal form."  
"What?"  
"I was a young lieutenant serving under General Shu in the Earth Kingdom. I discovered a hidden library. Underground, in fact. I tore through scroll after scroll. One of them contained a detailed illustration, and the words "moon" and "ocean". I knew then that these spirits could be found and killed. And that it was my destiny to do so."  
Iroh rose with anger.  
"Zhao, the spirits are not to be trifled with!"  
"Yes, yes... I know you fear the spirits, Iroh. I've heard rumors about your journey into the Spirit World." Mingyun's eyebrows rose. "But the Ocean and Moon gave up their immortality to become a part of our world. And now they will face the consequences."  
He took a scroll out of his pocket. "We'll be following this map to a very special location. And when we get there, we're going fishing." He smirked evilly, and beckoned for them to follow.  
They wove through the town, the circle of soldiers sending endless fire blasts at civilians and warriors alike.  
The group reached a cave, where the grass was green, the air was warm, and the water flowed in a loop, with a small pool in the middle. The pool had two fish circling each other, one white, one black.  
Zhao marched right up to the pool with a cloth sac. He snatched the white fish from the water, and stuffed it in a sac. Overhead, the sky is tinted as the full moon turns blood red. Every water bender in the nation lost their bending just then, and a wave of pain went through Mingyun's skull.  
"I am... a legend, now! The Fire Nation will, for generations, tell stories about the great Zhao, who darkened the moon. They will call me, Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!" A small white creature jumped on his head, and it took all of Mingyen's resolve not to burst out laughing "Ugh... get it off! Get it off!" Zhao cried. The creature flew away, perching in a young bald boy's arm.  
_"*Is that who I think it is?*"_ Mingyun whispered. Iroh nodded.  
"Don't bother." Zhao held up the sac, threatening murder.  
"Zhao, don't!" the Avatar shouted.  
"It's my destiny, to destroy the moon and the Water Tribe." Mingyun shook her head.  
_"*I know destinies, Zhao, and that is most certainly not yours.*"_ The Avatar glanced at her for a moment, before returning his attention to Zhao.  
"Destroying the moon won't hurt just the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."  
"He is right Zhao," Iroh said sharply.  
"General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" he asked calmly. Iroh took the hood off his head.  
"I'm no traitor, Zhao, the Fire Nation needs the moon, too; we all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit I'll unleash on you ten-fold. Let it go, now!" Mingyun's eyes widened at his harshness, but she took a fighting stance next to him.  
"As will I. Any harm you bring to that spirit, I will use to haunt you for the rest of your short, short life."  
Zhao hesitated, then released the koi fish back into the oasis. He seemed defeated, but then his anger rose, and he struck the fish with his fire.  
The moon faded from the sky, and Mingyun cried out in pain. A girl with white hair at the side of the oasis collapsed, saying,  
"There's no hope now, it's over." Iroh attacked Zhao, keeping his promise. The Avatar began to glow, and with an echoing voice, replied,  
"No, it's not over." He walked into the center of the pool, the remaining fish circling him. He abruptly sunk into the water, and it began to glow with a lightning-like energy. The energy expanded through the city, and at the edge of the oasis, it rose up to create a giant koi-like monster. At the heart of the monster stood the Avatar, who controlled its movements. The creature began to make its way to the ocean, leaving the small group behind, awestruck.  
"Iroh, I am going to find Zhao," Mingyun said coldly. She left quickly, to find Zhao and Zuko fighting on a bridge.  
"You tried to have me killed!" Zuko screamed as he began attacking.  
"Yes I did." Zuko approached Zhao, and the Koi monster made it's way to the ocean. "You're the Blue Spirit, an enemy of the Fire Nation! You freed the Avatar." Mingyun was surprised to hear this, but it made sense. She ran up to the bridge as fast as she could.  
"I had no choice." Zuko continued to fire a volley of attacks, but they were all blocked.  
"You should have chosen to accept your failure, your disgrace. Then at least you could have lived." Zhao finally began to fight back.  
Mingyun ran up to them, and took a stance next to Zuko. She thrust out her arms, creating a blast of fire so powerful that Zhao was forced to stagger backwards, towards the end of the bridge.  
The moon reappeared in the sky, making Zhao freeze.  
"It can't be!" he shouts.  
Mingyun froze, a strange force taking over her. Her eyes began to glow like flames.  
**"Zhao, you are a pitiful excuse for a human being. You were convinced of your destiny, and were sorely wrong."** A glowing hand reached out of the water and grabbed him.  
"Take my hand!" Zuko shouted, running towards him.  
**"I can tell you now Zhao," **with a smug smile, he refused Zuko's hand. **"that your destiny is to die here, in the place of your greatest defeat."** He went under.  
Mingyun transformed, her skin and clothing lighting, until she was nothing but a living flame. Her hair flowed out in tendrils, and she made a warm glow all around her. From her back, she grew flaming wings, like a hawk's, and from her eyes came flames as gold as the sun. Zuko began to back away, but she took flight, wrapping her hands around his arms. The flames didn't burn him, and he was grateful, yet scared. What had happened to his friend?

* * *

They landed on a raft, floating out in the ice fields. Iroh was there, calmly sipping at some tea that he had conjured out of nowhere.  
Almost instantly, Mingyun changed back and collapsed, falling into a deep sleep.  
Zuko followed suit, lying down, but staring up at the sky. Mingyun's head somehow ended up on his chest, but he didn't object.  
"I'm surprised Prince Zuko, surprised that you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar." Leave it to Uncle to ruin the quiet.  
"I'm tired," he replied simply.  
"Then you should rest. A man needs his rest." Zuko rolled his eyes beneath the lids. He wrapped an arm around Mingyun before finally letting the rocking waves finally lull him to sleep.

* * *

**(A/N) Just something I thought of, and had the time to do. R&R, and tell me if I should continue. **

**Just some facts, the Old Language is Chinese. The first thing she says is ****_  
_**_"Why do you insist on teaching me?"_

**If what they say is italicized AND in between *these things*, then it is in the Old Language for one reason or another. **

**Zuko, Iroh, Mingyun, and Aang could all recognize the Old Language. Zhao is an ignorant fool, so he didn't bother to learn.**

**Mingyun Duo is the pronunciation of Destiny Flame in Simplified Chinese. **


	2. Chapter 2

**OKAY! Due to the two responses I actually got both agreeing, my lack of patience, and my already having written this chapter, I am going with PATH 1! For those of you who have no earthly idea what I'm talking about, just don't ask. Chapters are going to be shorter, because I can't put all of season 2 into one chapter, have it flow, and me still be happy. Thanks to Electricalpha and WarriorServant for actually responding!  
**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I will not own it, so just refer to this disclaimer throughout the rest of the story.**

* * *

"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening." A tall, dark-haired girl walked out of the cottage, and marched calmly down to the shore. Mingyun stepped out of the brush soon after, cocking her head to the side curiously. She went back to the cottage, a basket of fruit in hand.  
"What's going on?" she asked as she enters the dark room.  
"We have just gotten a message," Iroh replied solemnly. "Apparently Zuko's father wants him back home."  
Zuko stared off into space, deep in thought.  
"Who was the girl?" That got his attention. Zuko looked up at her slowly, a nervous glint in his eye.  
"It was... It was Azula." Mingyun's eyes widened, and she stepped back.  
Everyone could see her fear, but she said nothing. Best to let Zuko solve his own problems.  
"Will you be going back?" she asked, trying to relieve the tension.  
"I don't know." Zuko's gaze returned to a spot on the wall, and Iroh sighed.  
"Do you want to go back?" Zuko's face hardened, and he unconsciously scowled.  
"Yes."  
Mingyun sat down next to Zuko and smiled.  
"Well, whatever choice you make, I will support you."

* * *

"We're going home! After three long years, it's unbelievable!" Zuko said gleefully as he packed his belongings. Iroh stared thoughtfully out the window.  
"It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything."  
"Did you listen to Azula?" Zuko said, taking an irritated tone. "Father's realized how important family is to him! He cares about me!"  
"I care about you!" Iroh shouted, holding out his arms. "And if Ozai wants you back, well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."  
Mingyun nodded, but Zuko didn't notice. He had his back turned to them.  
"You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything!"  
"Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem." Zuko turned back towards him, his gaze full of hurt.  
"I think you are exactly what you seem! A lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who's always been jealous of his brother!" He stormed away, leaving a very hurt Iroh. Mingyun put a hand on his shoulder.  
"He knows that's not true," she told him. "He's just upset." Iroh nodded, but was still very sad. Mingyun turned him so that he faced her, and put in a stern face. "Iroh. Don't let him get to you. You do what you think is best, whether it satisfies your heart or your mind. Whatever you do, Zuko will always love you, and whatever he does, you will always love him. Keep it that way. Don't let his issues haunt you too." She pulled the man in for a hug, and he smiled.  
"Thank-you, Mingyun. Thank-you."

* * *

Mingyun and Iroh watched as Zuko walked down the path toward the beach. Iroh waved his hand, and they ran down after him.  
"Wait! Don't leave without us!"  
"Uncle! Mingyun! You've changed your minds!"  
"Family sticks together, right?" He laid a hand on Zuko's shoulder.  
"We're finally going home!"  
The three made their way to the ship. They saw Azula standing at the top of the ramp leading from the ground. Royal Procession guards stood on either side of them as they walk, forming an aisle. Iroh glanced suspiciously at the guards, and Mingyun did the same. Neither could bring themselves to trust the armored 'peacekeepers.'  
They climbed the ramp, and once at the top, they bowed. The guards behind them close the aisle.  
"Brother! Uncle! Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to come. And who is this?"  
"This is Mingyun. She is from the Fire Nation too," Zuko replied. Mingyun winced. Did he have to say that? Iroh continued to case suspicious glances at the guards.  
"Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?" a man, probably the captain, asked. Too sweetly, Azula replied,  
"Set our course for home, captain."  
"Home," Zuko mumbled. You could see the hope sparkling in his eyes.  
The captain walked up the ramp, and with a sweeping gesture shouted,  
"You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners home!"  
The captain widened his eyes in realization, while Azula several emotions- most noticeably surprise, then fury.  
The captain began to shake.  
"Your Highness, I..."  
Iroh, on cue, began to attack the guards. He pushed them off the edge of the walkway and sent fire blasts at them. Zuko stomped furiously to the ramp, and threw the captain off. Mingyun helped Iroh with the guards, and watched Azula out of the corner or her eye.  
"You lied to me!" Zuko shouted.  
"Like I've never done that before," Azula replied smugly.  
She turned her back to him, and let the two guards at her side shoot flames at him. Zuko crossed his arms and spreads them outward, deflecting the attacks. He charged onto the ship, shouting, with Mingyun not far behind him.  
Zuko leapt onto the ship, disabling a guard with fire blasts, while Mingyun knocked out another that came from behind him. He landed on deck, several feet away from a patiently waiting Azula. She smirked at Zuko, who had prepared fire daggers. Mingyun prepared a small tendril of flame in her palm, which would expand to a giant fire whip at the flick of a wrist. Iroh, who was still attacking guards, shouts up at them.  
"Zuko! Let's go!" He wrestles a guar off of him, and hurls him bet the edge.  
Zuko charges at her, daggers at the ready. Azula merely sidestepped, and then precisely dodged all of his blows. She smirked at him, only provoking him further, and dodged the next onslaught.  
Mingyun took a stance, and flung out her arm, the small tendril expanding to be at least fifteen feet long, wrapping around Azula's ankle. Azula, slightly surprised, yanked her foot foreword, knocking Mingyun down and kicking Zuko at the same time. She then spun backwards, extending her leg to strike him in the chest.  
"You know, Father blames Uncle for the loss of the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar!" She paused, looking at Zuko's reaction. "Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?"  
Zuko created more fire daggers. He leapt into the air, kicking and sending a powerful fire blast at her.  
She jumped, landing several feet away. Zuko charged at her as she rose, only to have his attacks deflected and avoided. Mingyun tried her fire whip again, but this time Azula grabbed it. When she yanked it towards her, Mingyun launched foreword, vaulting into the air. She flipped, gaining enough momentum so that when she landed a kick, Azula was knocked backwards. Azula swept her leg under Mingyun's feet, knocking her backwards, and she grabbed her ankles.  
"You're good," Azula hissed, before spinning Mingyun around, and throwing her to onto the nearby stairs. "But I'm better."  
Zuko ran at her, fire daggers in hand, but she once gain dodged, at one point scraping his scalp with her fingernails. He staggered, and yelled, charging.  
The two continued to duel, Azula finally beginning to incorporate non-evasive techniques. They made their way up the other set of stairs, to the central control area. Azula grabs ahold of Zuko's arm, and knocks him to the bottom the stairs with a blast of blue flames.  
Azula moved her arms in circular motions, creating sparks of electricity. She aimed her fingertips right at Zuko's chest, and released a tremendous bolt of lightning.  
In a split second, Mingyun was in front of Zuko, her body on fire. She caught the lightning in her hands, and it spread across her entire body before being absorbed. She flashed blue, and released a giant blast of fire at Azula, who barely managed to deflect it.  
"What ARE you?!" Azula shouted, her eyes wide with... not fear, but something close. Iroh came up behind her, bent her downwards, and kicked her off of the ship. She landed in the water with a splash and a scream of rage.  
Mingyen grabbed Iroh under the arms, flew him to the end of the ramp, and transformed back to normal. Zuko caught up quickly, and they all ran to the forest.

* * *

The trios' reflections glinted off of the nearby stream as they ran down the narrow path. Mingyun fell, panting in a small clearing.  
"I think we're safe here," Iroh said in between breaths.  
Zuko pulled out a shining knife, and stared at it solemnly. Iroh glanced up at him, and saw him being the blade to the base of his Phoenix Tail. He hesitated, but finally pulled the the knife across, severing the hair. He then thrust the knife into Iroh's hands, who did the same, but with less hesitation. Iroh passed the knife to Mingyun, who cut her hair straight across at the shoulders. The three let the hair flow down the river, and along with them, their former lives.

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**(A/N) Keeping it original is HARD! Read and review, all of you! **


	3. Chapter 3

"I didn't find anything to eat!" Mingyun smirked at the comical complaining. "I can't live like this!" She climbed through the leaves towards the sound as loud as an elephant-rhino. "I wasn't meant to be a fugitive!" Well neither was she, but you didn't hear her complaining. She rolled her eyes, and made a small window in the leaves. "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" Just as she thought, Minygun found herself in the trees directly over Zuko, who had his hands high in the air in a fit of hunger-induced rage. Zuko stopped shouting long enough to look over at Iroh, who was kneeling down by a strange looking bush. "Uncle, what are you doing?

"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking. That, or it's the white jade, which is poisonous." Zuko growled.

"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing," he huffed. He turned away from his uncle, and almost ran face first into Mingyun, who was hanging upside-down from the branches.

"No food up here, mind if I join you?" she said lightly, trying very hard not to fall from the tree laughing. At first, Zuko's face was a mottled combination of exasperation, surprise, and strange muscle contortions, but then he calmed down a bit, and nodded.

As they walked away, they heard Iroh mumble,

"Hmm... Delectable tea? Or deadly poison?" Mingyun shook her head and smiled, while Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know how, or when, or why, but tea is going to play a major role in his death..." Zuko mumbled. Mingyen nodded, her smile growing at the mental image of Iroh drinking tea while fending off against soldiers. She laughed out loud. "Where did that come from?" Zuko looked warily at her.

"Somewhere in the deepest corners of my mind. There's the river." She pointed to the river, which was about waist deep and flowing slowly. Zuko snapped a few branches off of some nearby trees and began to sharped the ends with his knife. Mingyun smirked. "You need to use a spear?" He gave her a deadpanned look.

"Yes. I don't have a pole, so how else am I supposed to catch anything?" She rolled her eyes, still smirking, and stepped into the freezing water. She stood with her hands just above the water, and she didn't move. Several minutes later, not so much as a hair had even twitched. Zuko had finished sharpening the poles, and kneeled at the edge of the water.

Mingyun was the first to move, her hands diving into the water, nothing more than a green blur. She came out with a fish about as long as her forearm, and about as thick as Zuko's. His eyes widened at the fish, and she smirked as she threw it to the shore. She repositioned herself over the water, but Zuko quickly dived, flailing his spear wildly. He dragged himself back to the shore sopping wet, and with nothing but a baby minnow on the end of his spear. Mingyun couldn't help it; she burst out laughing.

Zuko had been aiming for a big fish, he had, but when it came right down to it, he was just a sucky fisherman. He looked for the source of Mingyun's laughter, and when his eyes saw the dinky minnow, his anger flared. He doused it with his mischievousness, though, and smirked as an idea came to mind. He turned the spear around in his hands so that the blunt end was facing outwards, and her thrust it behind Mingyun's knees, knocking her into the water.

Spluttering, Mingyun rose from the water with a splash, aiming straight for Zuko and his dinky minnow. She got him in the face, and the minnow was knocked from the end of the pole. When he bent over to put the fish somewhere where it wouldn't wash away, Mingyun lunged foreword and pulled Zuko into the water, kicking and shouting.

"Mingyun!" She laughed maniacally and splashed him again. He grinned. "Never challenge me," He backhanded the water, making a huge splash in her direction. "to a splash fight."

The two continued like this for a while, until they were both chilled to the bone, and every fish for a mile had fled. Zuko climbed out of the water, followed quickly by Mingyun.

"Would you like to learn a firebending technique?" he asked her, sitting in a meditative pose. Mingyun nodded, and copied him. "Focus on your inner fire, and bring it out. Make it grow warmer." They both closed their eyes and breathed rhythmically. "As your inner fire grows warmer, so will you." Zuko, being a master at this, had already risen his temperature so that the water was simply evaporating off of his skin. Mingyun took a bit longer, but she still got it.

"So _this _is why you're always so warm," she mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"The air is always warmer around you. I usually make a mental sarcastic comment, but this makes much more sense." The corners of Zuko's lips turned up.

"We should probably get back. Uncle will hungry." They made sure they were dry before hiking back to camp, Zuko's minnow on his stick, and Mingyun holding hers by the gills. When they reached the clearing, Iroh was still kneeling by the bush.

"Zuko, remember that plant I thought might be tea?" Iroh mumbled. Zuko went pale, and his eyes widened.

"You didn't..."

"I did... and it wasn't." He turned around, revealing himself to be swollen and covered with red blotches. Zuko and Mingyun both dropped their fish and screamed. "When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing. But look what I found!" He held out a branch with bundles of reddish berries. "These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade. That, or maka'ole berries that cause blindness." Mingyun rolled her eyes and snatched the branch away from him. She then lit the branch on fire, and stomped on it until it was nothing more than a pile of ashes.

"We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help."

"But where are we going to go?" Without the berries, he began to scratch himself vigorously. "We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives from the Fire Nation."

"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed," Zuko thought out loud.

"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula." Mingyun shuddered, and the three glanced at eachother and nodded.

"Earth Kingdom it is." As they set off to find a village, Zuko mumbled darkly to Mingyun,

"Next time he picks up a plant, I'll hold him down while you burn it."

* * *

They arrived at a small village, and immediately were taken to an infirmary. The girl who was treating Iroh was cheerful, her pink-and-white robe emphasizing her overenthusiastic nature.

"You two must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the White Jade, much less make it into tea and drink it." Iroh reached up to scratch his rash, which was now covered in a white paste, but the girl slapped his hand.

"Whoops!" Iroh exclaimed. His rash had gotten much worse, and the paste only made him look like some sort of monster.

"So where are you traveling from?" she asked suddenly, wringing a damp cloth.  
Zuko rose from his seat and began fidgeting.

"Yes, we're travelers." Mingyun smirked. Smooth, Buzzcut.

"Do you have names?"

"Names? Of course we have names." The girl turned and saw Iroh once again scratching himself, and she glared as she slapped his hand. "I'm, uh... Lee, that's, um… Wuming, and this is my Uncle, uh... Mushi?" Mingyun and Iroh both glare daggers at him.

"Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior.

"You may call him Junior, Mushi, but I like to call him Buzzcut," Mingyun said, grinning, and she ran a hand over Zuko's millimeter-long hair. As soon as the girl turned around to swat Iroh yet again, Zuko spun around and pinned Mingyun's arm behind her back and faced Iroh, making a slitting motion across his throat.

The girl turned around again, and Zuko immediately let go and straightened up.

"Mushi, Wuming, and Junior, huh. My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal." She slapped Iroh's hand again. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on."

"That's too bad." Song gave an innocent smile while screwing the lid of the salve back on. "My mom always makes too much roast duck." Iroh leaned towards her and grinned stupidly.

"Where do you live, exactly?"

* * *

"My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves," Song's mother said as she set down the platter of roast duck. Mingyun had to admit, the duck was delicious.

"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away. That was the last time I saw my father." Song gazed sadly at her plate.

"I haven't seen my father in many years." This was the first time Zuko's father had been mentioned without him threatening to blow someone's head off.

Song sympathized. "Oh, is he fighting in the War?" Mingyun had to resist the urge to snort.

Zuko hesitated, and it would have been perfectly silent save Iroh, who was slurping a bowl of noodles.

"Yeah." Zuko didn't say anything else as he stared into his soup bowl.

"What about you Wuming? Why are you a refugee?" Song asked, sensing Zuko's tension.

"Song, don't press her, it's very rude. She doesn't have to say why if she doesn't want to," her mother cut in, slightly shocked at her daughters outburst.

"No, it's fine," Mingyun assured her. "My parents escaped from the Fire Nation colonies before they were married. My mother died in childbirth, and my father... He left me to fend for myself. He was in pain. He escaped the Fire Nation, he and my mother did, and she was struck down not by a fireball, but by me." Everyone's eyes widened, even Zuko's. "I was adopted a few times, but the last to take me in were killed in a raid. I was taken prisoner on a ship, to be taken to the colony work camps. I escaped somehow, and stowed away on an Earth Kingdom barge. When the ship landed, I met Z-Lee and Mushi, and we started traveling together."

The room was dead silent. Even Iroh had stopped eating to stare at her in disbelief. Her cheeks reddened, not used to having so much attention. She mumbled a quick "Excuse me," before hurrying out onto the porch.

Zuko followed soon after, to find her meditating quietly. He sat beside her, trying to think of something to say, when she suddenly sobbed.  
She regained her composure almost immediately, but it was enough to break Zuko's resolve.

_"*Mingyun, was that all true?*" _She nodded. _"*Why didn't you tell us sooner?*"_ She shook her head, and a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. Zuko reached out and gently wiped it away with his thumb.

_"*I just didn't want to talk about it. I still don't*"_ Zuko took a meditative position and stared straight ahead, dropping the obviously uncomfortable subject. He was about to reach out for her hand, to comfort her, but Song sat down next to them, and the moment was ruined.

"Can I join you? I know what you've been through. We've all been through it. The Fire Nation has hurt you." She reached out for Zuko's scar, but he pushed the hand away. No had touched the scar. No one would. "It's okay. They've hurt me, too." She pulled up her pant leg, revealing a large scar that swirled in flamelike patterns up and down her leg. Both Mingyun's and Zuko's eyes widened.

Mingyun's throat dried suddenly, and Zuko saw her eyes fill with understanding. She quickly covered it up though, and hoped that he hadn't seen.

The adults came outside, chatting politely.

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent." He bowed to her in thanks, and smiled

warmly.  
"You're welcome. It brings me pleasure to see someone eat my cooking with such... gusto." Iroh laughed, and patted his stomach.

"Much practice." Mingyun smiled a bit at this, and Zuko's eyes warmed. Song rolled down her pant leg, and went inside. Zuko turned to leave, the warmth fading.

"Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people." Zuko turned, and he and Mingyun bowed at the same time.

"Thank-you."

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there is hope," Song called from the doorway. "The Avatar has returned." Zuko turned away, and he looked bitter.

"I know."

They began to walk away when Zuko noticed the ostrich-horses that were tied up. He took two of the three, and lead them towards the others.

"What are you doing? These people just showed you great kindness," Iroh asked, his voice full of concern and disappointment.

"They're about to show us a little more kindness. Well?" He gave Iroh a leg-up on one of the steeds before climbing on the other one, and hoisting Mingyun up with him. He sat her down in front of him, and cracked the reins, taking off.

The two rode in silence, until the town had long since been out of sight.

"Where is it?" he asked suddenly.

"Where is what?" She could almost see him shake his head.

"I saw how you looked when she showed you her scar. Where is it?" She sighed, and took his hand.

"It's down my spine. Azula had me lashed with a flaming whip, before realizing that she had broken the fine line between interrogation and torture. Once she realize she wouldn't get any information out of me, she stopped." Zuko's hand tightened.

"You knew what she did to you, and yet you were willing to follow me onto her ship." Mingyun nodded. She leaned back into Zuko's chest before letting the tears fall.

They rode quietly, save for the usual crying sounds. Mingyun sniffed loudly, and said,

"You know what would definitely make me feel better?" Zuko sighed, and leaned his head foreword. She immediately reached her hand up and began stroking the fuzz of his new hair, and giggled to herself. "Once your hair grows out, I'll stop. Just don't grow a beard." He made a face, and Mingyun giggled one more time before finally succumbing to sleep.

* * *

**(A/N) I am going to blatantly request reviews now. I would like at least double digits by the end of the month, please, cause reviews (Positive, negative, flames, whatever) increase my speed and willingness to write. I might have to resort to bribing you people, but I haven't figured out with what yet. Seriously, I need to know what you people are thinking about this! **


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